Saturday, May 9, 2009

Birth Centers in Seoul

***********Updated from original post. I've been informed that some of these birth centers are no longer operating. For a more current list, go to doula/childbirth educator, Lisa Fincaryk's blog, Birthing in Korea.

If you've birthed at any of these birth centers, please leave additional comments/info/recommendations in the comment section. Thanks to Rachel B. for gathering this together:

I checked out the birth center in Bucheon that Sarah posted about and met the head midwife there. Actually, she does understand and speak a bit of English (maybe not enough for everyone's comfort level but thats for each to decide). That got me thinking that probably many Korean midwives speak at least some English, like many Korean doctors and dentists do. Since I know what 'birth center' is in Korean now, 조산원, I went ahead and found this google map showing 10 locations in the Seoul area. If you follow the link, you'll see a list of the birth centers with their contact information, too. Hopefully, we can collect more info about these places as interested people check them out . . .

It's really difficult for expats, especially in countries with high c-section rates to find natural birth options. We are trying to gather the info in English for Seoul and surrounding areas so it is easier for English-speaking foreigners (at least) to find these options.

That would be great if you would cover other countries. Some of the moms in our group are getting close to their birthing times. After that, we will put more detailed information together and contact you so you can put it on your site.